Bottle cap



Dec. 1, 1931. J 5 NOBLE 1,834,548

BOTTLE CA]? 7 Filed Dec. 2, 1950 Iinventor J.S.N0ble MK/h Cittorneg Patented Dec. 1, 1931 stares nits JOSEPH s. NOBLE, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR r VINCENTMANGIAPANE, or Y OMAHA, NEBRASKA BOTTLE CAP Application.filed. December 2, 1930. Serial No. 499,577.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in or bottle closures and has for a primary object to provide a device which may be readily secured over the mouth of a jar or bottle and effectively sealed inplace thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a single stopper or closure which may be repeatedly used by operation of an expansible and contractible portion to effectively seal a bottle mouth in such manner that it can be readily opened at any time without use of separate implements, and also to materially reduce the ordinary expense or devices of this class, which have generally been heretofore iit only for a single use.

Another object oi the invention is to provide an economicalconstruction which is easy of operation and of a permanent durable charactor, and which is adapted to remain seated in an operative condition; assuming that a comparatively large amount of pressure is contained within the bottle or the contents thereof. I With these and other objects in view, the invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is sectional view of: a bottle neck having the improved stopper in position thereon before expansion of t 1e sealing means for the bottle. I

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, having the stopper expanded and functioning as a sealing media for the bottle neck.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken along the dotted line 33 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar numerals are utilized to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, designates a bottle neck having a suitable m outh 11.

ing the stem 12 is an expansible sleeve which is adapted to function-as the immediate sea-ling media, said sleeve 15preferably being formed of rubber or similar resilient substance, and through which the stem extends longitudinally. The upper and lower ends of the sleeve 15 are flat and the body thereof may be in true right angle alignment therewith, as illustrated, or otherwise shaped to adapt it to the particular form of a bottle neck or vessel, or it may'have the countour of a regular cylinder; The head 13 0]": the stem 12 exerts its pressure against the lower end of the sleeve 15 in a manner which will be'presently set forth, and bearing on the upper face or end of said sleeve 15 is a disc 16 which may be drawn into compression thereagainst by a means later described.

' The disc 16 isprovided with an annular side wall or flange 17, provided therein with a plurality of apertures 18 formed by stamping and punching inwardly spaced portions of the flange, and these inwardly punched portions provide sockets to receive steel balls 19 which partially project through said apertures.

A housing 20 is fitted over the disc 16 and its flange 17 and has a downturned annular flange 21, the lower extremity of which is turned slightly inwardly to provide a shoulder 22 engaging beneath the flange 17 to hold the balls 19 in their sockets; The inturned shoulder 22 of the flange 21 is not formed until after the disc 16 and the balls 19 are placed within the housing and the various parts are assembled to hold the parts together in an inseparable manner but with sufiicient relative movement or play to admit operation as later described.

The balls 19 are adapted to bear against and seat within an annular groove or depression 23 formed exteriorly in and adjacent the upper end of the bottle neck, and to squeeze snugly thereagainst, as shown in Figure 2,'when the parts are moved with respect to each other by means of the operation of a wing nut 24 carried by the threaded stem 12, the said wing nut being adapted to bear against the outside upper surface of the housing 20. v

As best shown in Figural, the inner wall of the downturned flange 21 of the housing 20 is slightly tapered downwardly to provide an annular wedging surface 25.

In order to return the parts to a normal releasing position an expansible spring 26 is located between the disc 16 and the inner surface of the housing 20.

In operation, the bottle or vessel 10, after being suitably filled, may be sealed by placing the new device loosely within and about the neck or mouth thereof, as shown in Figure 1.

The operator now turns the wing nut 24 downwardly over the stem 12, causing-the stopper or sleeve to be compressed against the disc 16 and at the same time compressing the spring 26 and forcing the housing 20 downwardly over the flange 17. This movement forces the annular wedging surface downwardly against the balls 19 and projects the same through their sockets into the exterior groove 23 in the bottle neck.

The disc 16 is thus held by the balls 19 and the flange 17 against the top of the bottle neck 10, and further tightening of the nut 24 compresses and expands the stopper 15 against the disc 16 and the inner wall of the bottle neck, as shown in Figure 2. The spring 26 is preferably of the helical spiral type so that it may be collapsed into the plane-of its base as shownin Figure 2 and occupy but small space.

The bottle is now tightly sealed, and to open it the winged nut 2 1 is turned upwardly over the stem 12 or released so that the stopper 15 may contract and the balls 19 may recede from the groove 23. The closure may be now lifted as an entirety from the bottle neck 10 and be preserved for subsequent and repeated use.

' The shank or stem 12, as shown in Figure 3, may have opposed flat sides and the disc 16 and housing 20 may have correspondingly shaped non-circular openings therethrough for the stem 12 to hold the parts from turntion without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only'by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. A closure for a bottle neck having an annular exterior groove, comprising a stem with a head at its lower end and screwthreads at its upper end, an expansible stopper surrounding said stem for engagement in a bottle neck, a ball carrying member on the stem above the stopperand adapted to fit about the neck of a bottle, balls mounted in said member opposite said groove in the neck, a housing encircling said member and provided with a tapered inner wall in operative communication with said balls, an expansible spring between said member and said housing, and a rotatable compression member carried on the outer end of said stem.

2. A closure for a bottle having a neck with an annular exterior groove therein, comprising a pair of interfitting members, a spring between the members to normally urge the same for relative movement axially thereof, balls mounted in the inner member, the outer member having a wedging face to engage the balls and move the latter inwardly upon the movement of the members to compress the spring, a stem mounted axially through the members, a stopper carried on the stem within the members, and means on the stem for compressing the members and the stopper, whereby upon the fitting of the members over a bottle neck with the stopper therein said balls may be seated in the groove of the neck and the stopper expanded within the neck.

3. A closure for a bottle having a neck with an annular exterior groove therein, comprising a stopper adapted to fit in the bottle neck, a headed stem extending upwardly through the stopper, a ball carrying member mounted on the stem above the stopper for engagement over the bottle neck, balls mounted on the member for engagement in the groove of the bottle neck, a wedging member on the stem enclosing the ball carrying member for moving the balls into the groove when moved downward, a spring between the members for urging the wedging member upwardly to release the balls from the groove, and a clamping nut on the upper end of the stem for binding engagement against the wedging member to move the latter downwardly and bind the balls in the groove and to compress the stopper against the ball carrying member to expand the stopper against the inner wall of the bottle neck.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature.

JOSEPH S. NOBLE. 

